She heard a loud scuffing of feet on the dirt lane behind her. She listened to its rhythm—three beats against the ground, heavy, the last beat following the first two after a half-second delay. She knew who it was, but right now she really wasn’t in the mood for Lina’s company. She didn’t even slow down as the Tri-tail ran up to her.
There you are, Lina said. I was wondering where you might have got to. Some of your friends are looking for you Calla.
“I’m not in the mood Lina,” Calla said. She just wanted to be alone right now.
Kira is begging for you to come see her. She says she thinks it is important for the two of you to talk.
“She told you as much?” Calla was only slightly surprised by that. Kira had believed that magical feats were just stories to entertain young children at night, that such things could never happen in the real world. She had been shocked when Calla created some very real white doves from a large wisteria for her wedding. Between that and Lina herself, Kira seemed to be gradually changing her mind about the subject.
Word for word, Lina went on. I think she wants to talk about…him.
“I don’t want to talk about it, especially today.” Calla shook her head. She had mentioned Hiran—though not by name—when she told Kira a shortened version of what had happened to her. Since then she seemed to sense what Calla had chosen to leave out about him.
Calla, you have been wearing that same scowl on your face for the past three years. Kira is supposed to be your best friend—you are supposed to share your feelings and secrets with her in such a relationship are you not?
They were standing at Calla’s front gate. She stopped with her hand on the latch and thought over everything for a moment.
Yes or no, Calla, Lina said when Calla continued to be silent. He was not just a friend to you. You liked him as more than a friend. Am I right?
Calla chewed on her lower lip. “I just…” she began. “I would’ve been happy if it went that way.” She picked at a wooden splinter with her fingers in agitation, her throat growing tight.
She had been so lonely years ago and never found anyone who could fill that void. Kira told her once a long time ago that if she gave time a chance the right person for her would find their way into her life. Thinking back, Calla was so sure that Hiran could have been—would have been—that person.
But she had let him slip away.
I know you have been looking for him, Lina went on. I have heard the tree spirits and birds complaining about how you cannot seem to let this go. But you cannot live the rest of your life like this. She rose up on her hind legs as she pawed at Calla’s leg with her front foot. Just let it go.
“I can’t do that, Lina.” Calla lifted the latch on the gate. “I’m not ready to give up on him.”
Will you at least see Kira about it?
“We’ll see.” Calla started up the front walkway.
The Tri-tail took a couple steps after her and suddenly stopped. She raised her head up straight and looked off further down the road, her ears standing up. She flicked her three tails. Someone comes, she said walking back into the road. Strange…they smell familiar. I do not think we know that many people outside of town. So who could this be?
Calla came back to the gate and followed Lina’s gaze. A single figure walked down the middle of the road coming towards them. She could see the person was tall even from this distance, and well-built. Their clothing was in tones of green and blue. They wore a long dark green cloak with the hood thrown back to reveal a head of long white hair.
White hair…
“It can’t be...” Calla whispered. She knew of only one person with hair of such a shade. She leaped over Lina back into the road and ran towards the figure, deaf to her companion animal’s startled cries. She kicked up large clouds of dust as she raced to meet the newcomer. When she was only a few yards away from them she could see their face—his face—more clearly. For a moment she faltered, unable to believe her eyes. She knew very well who he was.
With a loud cry she charged towards Hiran. At first he stopped and stared at her in confusion; he didn’t realize at first who was running at him. He leaned forward slightly to try and see her better and then a wave of recognition passed over his face. The bag he carried on one shoulder he dropped in the middle of the road as Calla jumped into his arms. Her momentum carried her hard into his chest as she threw her arms about his shoulders and her legs around his waist. She buried her face in his shoulder as she started crying in joy and held onto him as tightly as she could. Hiran said nothing and just held her, sliding one hand up and down the space between her shoulder blades and holding his other arm securely around her lower back.
“Ssshhh…” He lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck.
Gripping his shoulders hard Calla lifted herself up slightly as she unwrapped her legs from around his midsection and lowered herself back to the ground. She pushed herself back to look him over. Hiran was a little paler now than when she had last seen him, and she could see a couple of new scars showing from under his shirt that hadn’t been there before; he was also missing the tip of his left ear—he must have lost it in that final battle three years ago. He seemed a little thinner as well. His hair had grown out a bit and no longer hung in dingy gray dreadlocks but in smooth, shining strands that reached past his shoulders, some of it pulled back along the sides of his head in narrow braids. She twirled one small section of it around the tip of her index finger.
Some things about him had changed, but everything else had stayed the same.
He smiled at her and ran his thumb along her jawbone. “Gods,” he said quietly, “I had forgotten just how beautiful you were and still are.”
Calla’s cheeks started burning at the compliment and she dropped her gaze to the ground.
He stared at her, confused. “Why do you hang your head? I meant it—you should not be ashamed by it.”
“No, it’s not that,” Calla replied quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment. She let her hand drop from his shoulder. “I missed you Hiran.”
He moved his hand to stroke the outer edge of her ear with his fingers. “I made a promise three years ago, Calla, to return to see you regardless of how I chose to spend the rest of my life; even then I knew for certain that no matter what I decided, I didn’t want you out of it completely. Did you think I would forget that?”
“It was still so long. I thought you might’ve forgotten me in that time.”
He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up so she met his eyes. “Never,” he said. “I may have spent the last three years in wandering, but I never once forgot about you. I wanted you to be the first to know as soon as I made up my mind.”
Calla swallowed. “Don’t go,” she said.
Hiran suddenly leaned in closer. “I do not intend to.”
She felt a pressure around her left wrist. Surprised she backed away two steps and lifted her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw that Hiran had started to wrap a long, thin gold chain around her wrist, which was adorned only with a single small emerald. With both hands he finished looping the chain around her hand and tied the ends so it was secure.
As Calla stared at it she thought back to everything she had learned during her stay in Elenan. She had learned of some traditions in Malc culture. With marriages, a man who proposed to the woman he loved would tie a metal chain with some precious stone around her wrist; the color of the stone was supposed to signify the nature of his love. The Malc described the color green as never-ending, as having a kind of permanence…
She looked back at him with wide eyes. He was smiling at her.
“Will you have me, Calla?”
She couldn’t answer right away—she was at a loss for words. He had just proposed to her. Her vision blurred and she had to fight to keep herself together. “Yes,” she whispered finally. “Yes.” She put both hands behind his neck and rose up on her toes to kiss him; his hands slid along her lower back as he returned it.
Oh come on!
The cry brought them out of it. Turning, Calla saw Lina standing in the road a few feet behind her. The Tri-tail’s golden eyes were wide as she stared at the two, and she growled at them a little.
What is it your people say, Calla? she asked. ‘Get a room’? Without waiting for an answer she turned and ran back to the house, jumping over the front gate.
Laughing, Calla turned her attention back to Hiran. “Come inside,” she said. “My family will want to meet you.”
Smiling at her, Hiran paused only to recollect his bag before he draped one arm around her shoulders. They walked side by side to her front gate.
“Do you think it’s all really over?” Calla asked as she reached for the latch. “The darkness and all the monsters that came with it?”
“For now at least,” Hiran replied. “Nothing truly ends, just fades into new beginnings. I think it is possible Elenia did not block all roads here to creatures foul in nature; there may be a time when they are able to return. But I do not think it will happen anytime soon.”
“I hope it will never happen.”
“Never say never.” Hiran held the gate open for her.
“We’ll see.” Calla took his hand and led him up to the house.
Author’s Note
This is my first published work. If you have any questions, comments, or critiques you can email me at [email protected]; you can also follow me on Twitter: @Clmont1Colleen. At the time of this publication, I have started work on a sequel and hope to have it released by the end of the year.
Thank you for reading my story!
The Last Druid Page 28